Wellness meets world-class music at We Out Here festival
Gilles Peterson's independent festival We Out Here combines exceptional musical programming with holistic wellbeing offerings and artisanal dining, discovers Amy Rose Everett.
At 9am on a bright Saturday in a field in Dorset, festival-goers bypass the usual hangover recovery routine. Instead, a significant portion of We Out Here's crowd slip on Crocs, sling microfibre towels over their shoulders, and head toward the lake by St Giles House.
The former estate of the Ashley-Cooper family seems an unlikely venue for garage legends like MJ Cole or rapper Loyle Carner, yet it perfectly suits a festival catering to music lovers across generations who increasingly prioritise wellness alongside entertainment post-pandemic.
Now in its sixth year, the mid-size festival reflects the rising trend of health-conscious recreation; pleasure balanced with genuine wellbeing and connection. Punters want the option to book early bodyweight circuit sessions as well as dancing late into the night.
In 2024 The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) reports a wellness market worth 26% more than pre-Covid. The industry reached over £3.5 billion in 2024, with a 13% rise from 2023, and is forecast to grow 27% to over £5 billion. While wellness experiences typically require expensive retreat investments, festivals like We Out Here make them accessible to anyone with a ticket (£260 full price, with payment plans available).
Sinking into a wood-fired hot tub at The Wandering Wild Spa with two friends - and three complete strangers - became an unexpectedly convivial experience. I traded stories about the previous night's acts (Pa Salieu's Friday performance, a firm favourite) and swapped tips on favourite artists. The spa’s Nordic-inspired setup, tucked within The Sanctuary, offers hour-long sessions (£40 per person) that include exclusive access to your own hot tub plus steam sauna, cold plunge, and changing facilities. The cold plunge - though at a merciful temperature compared to some ice baths - did much to clear the cobwebs.
Wandering between tents in We Out Here’s sun-dappled Sanctuary area, it’s clear festival founder Gilles Peterson's curation philosophy extends beyond music. "In 2025, embodying community, care, and reciprocity feels especially important," explains Frankie, the festival's Wellness Programmer. "Now more than ever, we need to come together and celebrate the transformative power of community."
We Out Here isn't alone in this wellness pivot. An originator of holistic festival healing and entertainment, Shambala's Healing Meadows feature individual kinesiology and tai chi teachers in yurts, plus meditation workshops and immersive experiences like "chanting through the chakras" on an estate in Northamptonshire. Wilderness festival at Cornbury Park in Oxfordshire offers a similar lakeside setup to We Out Here, also partnering with The Wandering Wild Spa, alongside an offering spanning body poetry and pilates. 
The activities feel like anything but an afterthought - harp therapy, trauma-informed gong baths, and seven massage therapists offering treatments (most group activities like 5k runs and yoga are free, while individual Thai bodywork and aromatherapy require payment).
We Out Here has embraced mental health support with the same intentionality it brings to musical curation. Partnership with blink Mental Health offers free one-to-one therapy sessions in comfortable bell tents - up to 50 minutes with qualified therapists, no waiting lists or strict criteria. Last summer alone, blink provided over 150 hours of free therapy across UK festivals.
Adjacent to this sits a neurodivergent safe space - a low-stimulation environment with adjustable lighting, weighted blankets, and ear defenders, managed by autism specialists. While Glastonbury pioneered such sensory calm spaces for neurodivergent festival-goers, We Out Here's integration of both traditional therapy and neurodiversity support within The Sanctuary demonstrates a comprehensive approach to mental wellbeing that goes beyond tokenistic wellness gestures.
During a gong bath meditation, I experienced something rarely afforded in our hyper-connected world: uninterrupted rest. Walking out feeling tired, but oddly centred, I'd tapped into something I wouldn't normally explore.
This digital disconnection isn’t accidental. We Out Here offers decidedly little wifi - just a couple of dedicated areas that require some hunting to find. While this takes adjustment (walkie-talkies are genuinely recommended for meeting up with friends), it becomes an integral part of the wellness experience. Without the constant pull of notifications and social media, the present moment takes precedence.
I supplemented my wellness journey by joining a mycelium meditation session, learning that mycelium forms underground networks connecting plants across vast distances. When a tree becomes unwell, it sends resources to surrounding kin, even across species. "Spread your help among people different to you," the practitioner suggested, as participants lay on cushions in various states of introspection. The trauma-informed session meant we were free to leave if it didn't feel good - vulnerability felt safe rather than exposed.
Between live acts, I joined open yoga classes whilst jazz music drifted on the breeze from distant stages. At the Lemon Lounge, a small tent known for raging parties, the yoga practitioner joked that we should thank our body parts for doing their jobs - expressing particular gratitude to our livers for their tireless work. Joining a singing circle last-minute felt spiritually healing, and a reggaeton fitness session left the crowd smiling. Here was wellness made fun, stripped of pretension.
The Knowledge area bridges music and mental health through DJ workshops and artist talks, a new interactive hub. "We realised there's never been a dedicated space for you to truly get involved, to learn, experiment, and connect with the people behind the music," explains Josh Thomas from the creative production team. In partnership with Pointblank Music School and Audio Gold, legendary figures like Don Letts lead intimate sessions exploring the intersection of music and wellbeing.
Complementing this is Craftwerk, offering free mindful creativity sessions, including collaborative community weaving and life drawing. I tried my hand at lino printing and contributed to a community weaving project representing the festival's collective spirit. "Aura Craft" sessions see participants paint while receiving personalised portraits from fellow attendees.
This conscious approach extends to dining through On-Rotation, the festival's new restaurant featuring four guest chefs across four days. Sunday's sitting with James Fowler from The Larder House exemplified hyperlocal philosophy; the four-course feast began with an El Rayo Bloody Maria alongside Mudeford ceviche, followed by fire-roasted, whey-brined Dorset lamb with Skinny Malinkys green sauce and smoked Dorset oyster hispi cabbage caesar, concluding with Fowler's playful dessert featuring local berries and foraged elderflower liquor (£70 per head).
Ixta Belfrage's Saturday lunchtime sitting offered an entirely gluten-free menu - an exclusive preview of recipes from forthcoming book FUSÃO, celebrating Brazil's diverse food culture. Grilled chicken with moqueca sauce, paired with lime and spring onion slaw, felt both nourishing and indulgent (£70 per head). Effort has been made to provide affordable, wholesome food options - certain dishes are available at a set price of £6.50 from vendors like Club Mexicana, Chicken Bandits, and Blue Moon Cafe.
These decisions attract the exact demographic driving market growth - parents noticeably exploring alongside their teens and young children. Mintel identifies Gen Z and Millennials as "the core audience" for live music, even as they attend fewer events annually, seeking "premium, personalised experiences" over quantity. We Out Here's model addresses this perfectly, offering transformative experiences while remaining accessible, commanding loyalty in a saturated market. The question isn't whether larger festivals can copy this model exactly, but whether they're willing to make the programming and infrastructure investments that authentic wellness integration requires.
Part of a scene that has long prioritised hedonism over health, We Out Here suggests that wellness is part of, indeed key to, having fun.
Bringing festival wellness home: conscious recovery in London
For accessibility: Community Sauna This not-for-profit organisation makes sauna and cold plunge therapy accessible across six London locations (Camberwell, Bermondsey, Hackney Wick, Peckham, Stratford and Walthamstow). An award-winning Social Prescribing Scheme offers 10 free sessions to anyone referred through NHS link workers, working to tackle chronic pain and social isolation.
For traditional ritual: Go Banya Experience authentic Russian banya contrast therapy with the invigorating Parenie treatment - a thermal massage using birch, oak, and eucalyptus bundles in superheated steam, followed by an icy plunge pool. This isn't your typical spa experience but a centuries-old wellness ritual that leaves you "de-stressed and reborn." Relaxing in plush robes in between sauna sessions, guests can try age-old Russian dishes like caviar and dark rye bread, alongside traditional kvass and herbal teas, all crafted to maintain electrolyte balance.
For high-tech optimisation: The Body Lab, Kensington Combining luxury private gym facilities with cutting-edge preventative and regenerative treatments, The Body Lab uses advances in science and technology to empower your health journey beyond traditional wellness approaches. A typical session might include acupuncture with The Swiss Touch practitioners, followed by Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber to enhance healing and recovery. Infrared sauna sessions paired with red-light therapy complete the high-tech wellness circuit, using specific light wavelengths to promote cellular repair and reduce inflammation.
For community: Mission E1, Shoreditch London's premier movement studio teaches everything from yoga and pilates and capoeira. Breaking the stigma that strength training is only for men, they make calisthenics accessible to all ages and genders. Post-workout, their salubrious café offers reasonably-priced brunch dishes, pastries and natural wines on a sunny rooftop terrace. New visitors can try 10 days unlimited for £39.
Photo credits: Sienna Lorraine Gray; Ellie Koepke
